Here are the things I've been enjoying this week:
1. Candles by Victoria's Scent Shot in, "Caramel Hazelnut Cream". If you are a coffee lover, this is the perfect fragrance to melt in your kitchen or living room warners. The scent is warm and robust, with just the right combination of coffee and sweetness to it. This scent would make a wonderful candle. It's definitely going on my CBV order wishlist!
2. Daiya Jalapeño Garlic Havarti Style Wedge. I found this at my local Fresh Market, and it is delicious! If you're like me and can't handle a lot of dairy, this is an amazing alternative. If someone would have handed this to me without telling me it was "fake cheese", I would not have believed them; the flavor is just so excellent! I really recommend this jalapeño garlic variety if you like spicy type cheeses with a little kick to them. I've been eating it as a snack on top of "Mary's Gone Crackers Black Pepper gluten free crackers", but you can pair it with anything you like. I plan to try this with a chicken casserole type dish; I think it would be delicious! If it turns out well, I'll post a recipe.
3. The, "Whitmor Folding Clothes Drying Rack" that I ordered from Amazon a few months back. This is one of those products that I'm kicking myself for not getting sooner! I initially ordered this to use with delicate laundry, but I've since been using it almost daily for random things, like placemats and napkins! Since it has worked so well, my goal lately has been to cut back a little on how often we use our dryer, and to use this rack instead for a few loads each week. I'd be nice to conserve a little energy, cut down on our utility bill some, and help our fabrics last longer. I especially like this drying rack because when it isn't in use, you can fold it up and store it away, taking up a minimal amount of space. When it is in use, it is still fairly compact, so you can easily fit it into a small space. This particular one has a waterproof, epoxy coating that helps it resist mold and mildew. The construction of this seems to be very well made, so I'm hoping to have this folding rack for a long time to come.
4. Tervis Tumbler. Is it weird to be in love with a cup...because I am! I have been using my Tervis Tumbler for over a year now, and it is one of my very favorite things! Nick actually had one too that he uses as well! My brother in law, Bubba told me about Tervis Tumblers a few years ago, after I kept dropping and breaking my glass drinking glasses. I finally got around to getting this one last year at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I absolutely love it! It honestly still looks new, but I have dropped this at least 20+ times. There are no visible cracks or scratches in it, thankfully.
My right hand has some nerve damage, so I can be a little clumsy at times. The one thing that I like the most about the Tervis Tumblers, is that you can get a separate handle to go with their cups. It may not be necessary for most people, but I really love mine. It definitely helps me hold onto the cup more easily, and makes it more stable to carry around. I typically fill this one up with ice water throughout the day, so I'm constantly drinking enough. If I'm using a cold drink, it keeps it chilled, and if I'm using a hot drink, the insulation keeps it toasty, without ever developing condensation. I prefer this to my traditional sports bottles, because of the handle, and also like that I can use a straw with it. (I'm a straw person!) 
5. Number 5 goes along with my number 4 favorite. Last night I went to Target for a few things, and like always, I had my cup with me. (I always take it with me because I like having water whenever I go someplace.) I finished my water while I was there and was still thirsty, so I went to the little Starbucks inside of Target. The lady was really friendly, and was actually able to put the drink I wanted in my Tervis Tumbler since it's a hot/cold insulated container. I thought that was pretty neat! Starbucks will give you a .10 discount if you brings your own container to refill. I love that idea, because it keeps anther disposable cup out of the landfill, and encourages people who want an occasional treat to reuse their products. I think that's a great idea on Starbucks part.
Friday Fail:
I have one "fail" for today, and it is the Caviar Transformation Kit. Pictured, are the Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging moisture shampoo and conditioner. I purchased this in a four piece mini set at Sephora a while back at the recommendation of a good friend. Obviously it goes without saying that different people and hair types prefer different things; this just didn't work out for me.
This four piece kit came with minis of the shampoo, conditioner, working hair spray, and overnight hair rescue. Although I finished the shampoo and conditioner to not be wasteful, I disliked them, and wouldn't recommend them. The product didn't improve or moisturize my hair well. It weighed my hair down, and left it feeling greasy and looking dull. The kit itself was extremely overpriced, at $30 for the mini set. (I got it for less during the F&F sale, but it still wasn't worth it.) I also found the scent of these products, especially the overnight hair rescue cream, to be absolutely repulsive. It smells like you're smoothing on a fish market to your hair! It is just putrid and repulsive, and there is no way I could ever recommend it. The shampoo/conditioner were tolerable, but the night treatment smelled so putrid that I just had to toss it. I couldn't even GIVE if away, because everyone hated the scent lol. It did come with a mini hairspray as well in the set, which I haven't tried yet since I'm still finishing another one at the moment. (So, I can't comment on the quality of the hairspray yet.) Overall, I'd go with Wella as a brand instead of Alterna. I feel that the products a better performance and value wise, and you can get them on sale at Ulta pretty often. Save yourself some money, and skip the Alterna Caviar Transformation Kit!
